Before the Basilisk
by Marva Volkova
Summary: During the days leading up to the Yule ball Tom Riddle is intrigued by a fellow Slytherin.


Before the Basilisk *  
  
Chapter One  
  
A slender hand held cocked a pale face up.Grey eyes fluttered about the classroom as she stared down in boredom at a blank sheet of parchment paper. Wisps of brick red hair spilled onto a black and brown quill . "Elizabeth .Wake -up !" a boy in black Slytherin robes elbowed her in her sides. " I am,But do you have to be so violent?" she yawned grasping herside.The girl obviously American streched as she heard Professor Dumbledore dismissing the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins. "Liz!" A small Asian girl called after her in an Japanese accent." Yes Kwon?" Elizabeth turned watching the sparkle of her head Girl pin on her own chest." Just a question who are you going to Yule Ball with?I mean I know someone who would love to go with you. But he's not a Slytherin. Or a Hufflepuff for that matter-- Oh Hi Thomas....." Kwon went a mile an hour only stopping long enough to say 'Hello' to a fellow Hufflepuff leaving Elizabeth to her own thoughts."Anyway, I was thinking that maybe you could go with the new Gryffindor kid . Come on you have to knoe him he's in Potions and some other classes with you.Anyway.... Wno will you be going to the Yule Ball with?" The girl stopped to take a quick in breath and wait for Elizabeth's answer. "Well no one really. But if I go out with anyone it will most likely be Micheal I should think.Then again that depends on what he thinks is right. He might already have a date with Jesse Daniel. The little snot of a witch." Elizabeth rolled her eyes allowing a slight grin to come across her face. "Okay then well Ryan Key the new Gryffindor as I said before is searching for a date. You know the rumor is that he's from France...And the other houses say he has a motorcycle their and he killed someone too! " Kwon went on for minutes reciting gossip that had began to swarm through every house but her own,Slytherin. As Kwon continued noticing the glazed over look in Elizabeths eyes.A boy about her own age of 16 passed he too wore a head boy pin proudly. He passed barely even looking her direction.His black robes billowed behind him as he walked lone to the Slytherin stairway.Turning lighly he gimaced back at her making her eyes focus back on Kwon. "So will you go with him?" A small sigh emitted from Elizabeth and she rolled her eyes responding with " No and you want to know why? If he really wanted to go with me to the Yule Ball that bad he would ask me himself,Kwon." She let out a noise of frustration and began walking up the Slytherin stairway.Elizabeth slid into the Slytherin common room silently and automatically plopled her belongings on the table.Her eyes surveyed the area to assure herself that there was no one listening to what she was to read aloud to herself. Obviously the free period was not until 15 more minutes but she figured no one would miss Dumbledore's speech on the experiment that was recently assigned.As soon as Elizabeth was satisfied with the lack of Slytherins,she pulled out a loud yellowish journal with fraying parchment paper. Flipping past about 8 pages filled with photo's,writting,and drawing she began to read a page as if it was a novel:  
  
13th March  
  
Three days ago I Melissa Baumfeld gave birth to my only child Elizabeth Lucinda Baumfeld in this quiet town in Pennslyvania,USA with the help of Quaker Americans. I fear for my daughter and my own life . David , my only one true lofe is dangerously angry at me. It seems that David believes that a muggle whom has recently stepped forward knowing of my true second life has stepped forward and swears that Elizabeth is his spawn. I fear that he belives this non sense. Therefore I shall return my wand to the Ministry of Magic and continue my life as a phony. I will act as a muggle.A bloody well Quaker. But I refuse to allow Elizabeth to live in this small uneducated area with me. It is the only safe way to avoid she and I being caputered or worse together. But as soon as she turns of age to arrive at a Witches safe haven Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry I will come out of hiding and explain myself..But I know that she can not avoid her father forever so I shall allow them to stay in correspondance. For a life without her father shall be dreadful for her. I do believe my choice is entirely correct. But for now I shall depart. ~ M.L.B  
  
She closed the book with tears begining to stream down her face and turned to see that she had not been alone all along. 


End file.
